Chiang Mai is Spain without the beach. Although a favourite destination for middle class Thais escaping Bangkok for the weekend and "Farangs" from the UK and elsewhere, I think if you go this far east you'd be better off in Phuket or Koh Samui beside the sea. OK it has the ancient walled centre, hill temples, the Karen and other exotic hill tribes and the "glamour" of the Golden Triangle just to the north at Chiang Rai but - once you've seen the Night Market and eaten in Macdonalds- there's little else left to do except laze beside the pool. Thailand's great if you like heat (but it can get cold at times in Chiang Mai, take a sweater) and incredible thunderstorms in the rainy season but do yourself a favour and stick to Bangkok or the beach resorts. After all it's a jungle out there [or should that be tropical rainforest?] assuming the illegal loggers haven't removed all the hardwood trees since last year.
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